Car side construction and load bracing apparatus



Nav. 27, 1951 E. G. MANGELS CAR SIDE CONSTRUCTION AND LOAD BRACINGAPPARATUS 2 SHEETS--SHEET l Filed Sept. 13, 1947 NVENTOR. Mngel Erwin GBY l ATTRNEYS Nov. 27, 1951 E. G. MANGELS CAR SIDE CONSTRUCTION AND LOADBRACING APPARATUS 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1947 INVENTOR. Erwi,G. Mangels BY Patented Nov. 27,` 1951 CAR SIDE CGNSTRUCTION AND LOADBRACING APPARATUS Erwin G. Mangels, Davenport, Iowa ApplicationSeptember 13, 1947, Serial No. 773,808

Claims. (Cl. 105-404) This invention relates to car side constructionsand in particular to an improved construction for car sides for railwayfreight cars such as box cars, cattle cars and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a car sideconstruction having an increased ratio of strength to weight. In otherwords, it is an object to provide a car side having substantiallygreater strength if the car is constructed to be of the same Weight asconventional cars now in use or if the car is constructed to be of equalstrength a car embodying the present invention will be of substantiallylighter weight, which, of course, results in a higher pay load capacity.l

Another object is to provide apparatus for bracing railway box car loadsin which the apparatus is an integral part of the car side constructionso that the interior car walls are flush and so that the car, ifdesired, may be used in a normal manner without interference by the loadbracing apparatus.

The present day utility loading or adjustable car bracing mechanisms areobjectionable in that they require the use of special bracing membershaving permanent attachments carried thereby and require that a completeset of bracing members with their special attachments be carried in thecar at all times. This apparatus is often very heavy and in someinstances adds as much as one-third or more to the weight of the carwhen empty, thus substantially reducing the pay load that can be carriedwhen the car is so equipped. It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide an apparatus for adjustably bracing the load whichdoes not require carrying a large supply of heavy bracing members. Theapparatus of the present invention is constructed' so that the fixturesfor supporting the bracing members are built into the construction ofthe car side and it is possible to utilize ordinary bracing members ofdunnage lumber available at the point where the car is loaded.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide asimplified and improved form of car side construction employing anexterior sheathing and car side post members in which the side postmembers are integrally constructed as part of the exterior sheathingpanels, thus reducing the amount of fabrication in producing a car anddecreasing the weight necessary to obtain adequate strength.

Another object is to provide an improved car side construction utilizingan improved design of side post member which has greater longitudinalextent, thus reducing the width of unsupported sheathing betweenadjacent posts, resulting in a stiffer car side having a much higherresistance to stresses tending to bulge the car side.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from lthe followingdetailed description accompanied by the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a railway box car embodyingthe present invention with parts broken away to show how the inventionmay be applied;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially online 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing a detail of the car side construction;

Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially online 4-4 of Fig. l showing in horizontal section details of the car sideconstruction;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a modified form ofcar side construction;

Fig. 6 is a similar enlarged horizontal section at another point on thecar side illustrating a modified form of car side construction; and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of aportion of a car side to illustrate the application of the presentinvention to the rebuilding of existing railway freight cars.

In the construction of present day railway freight cars such as box carsand the like the car side construction essentially comprises a pluralityof spaced side post members to which are secured an exterior sheathingproviding an outer surface or wall of the car. Generally there issecured to this assemblage an inner lining covering and concealing theside posts to provide an interior wall in the car. These side postscomprise the framework of the car side and it is necessary that they berelatively stiff members resistant to twisting, bending, in addition. tostresses which would tend to bulge the car sides outwardly. In the past,side post members have been formed of angle bars or Z-bars or the like.

A preferred form of side post member embodying the present invention isindicated in the drawings by the numeral i and may best be seen in Fig.4. A plurality of these side post members are arranged vertically,extending between and connected to the side plate, indicated by thenumeral 2, at the top of the car side construction and the side sill,indicated by the numeral 3, at the bottom of the car side construction.These side post members are arranged at intervals longitudinally alongthe car sides usually 3 at opposite points from end sill to end sill ofthe car. To the eXterior of these side post members are secured aplurality of sheathing panels i which form the exterior wall of the carside. This sheathing may be made of almost any desired material but itis preferable to use metal Y sheets r'or ease of assembling by weldingand in order to obtain adequate strength from the thinnest material.

In the `form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 4, each of theside post members I is an integral port.'o'n of the sheathing panel landdis? posed along one vertical edge thereof. The opposite vertical edgeof each sheathing panel overlaps an adjacent side post member and issecured to said side post member in any-suitable`ma`n ner, such aswelding, rivetinglor lthelike. ,It may v be seen that the s de postmembers and'she'athing form the frame and outer wall of the car side. Atthe interior of the sheathing, angle bars 5 may be disposed :and secured`to-.the sheathing and/for the side posts to hold furring or nailingstrips 6 inorder that suitable inner lining, indicated 'by the numeral1, may be nailed thereto to provide an vinterior wall of the car sideconstruction. The furring or nailing strips E may be secured to theangle bars 5by a bolt 8 passing through the angle bars and the lfurringas shown in Fig. 4.

At the location .of "the door opening in the car side construction thesheathing panel may be constr-ucted without an integral side postmember, and in this instance the sheathing panel may be secured directlyto a door post I, as shown in the right hand portion of Fig. 4.

The multiple channel side post members may include at least one andpreferably two channel shaped recesses II Yopeningftoward theeXterior ofthe ycar side wall and at yleast one channel shaped recess I2 openinginto the interior of the car. While adjacent walls of the recesses `I Iand I2 are shown in the'drawings as being substantially at vright anglestoeach other, it will be seen that this angle maybe varied, if desired.

The side post members I have outer vfaces formed'by vertically disposedsheathing engaging `flange portions I3, some of which may be edge angesof the side `post 'member' and some Yof whichim'ay be intermediateflange portionsof the post members disposed `between the .connectingadjacent channel shaped recesses. portions I3 afford relatively wide`lcontact .areas between "the side lpost members and the exteriorsheathing which facilitate. a secure engagement These flange betweensheathing and side post members `by welding, riveting or the like.-Eurthenit `may be seen that when the sheathing of an adjacent paneloverlaps the side post member-and vis secured theretofsuch sheathingcovers the channel shaped recesses II and forms with the side postmembers two closed spaced vtubular columns -at an edge of each sheathingpanel which provide a sturdy and stiifthough light weight,construc tion.vThe form of side vpostfmember vshown in the drawings in cross sectionhas the appearance ofv two connected U-shaped portion-s with f'edge/anges at the free ends of the -legs of the' Us and an intermediateflange portion in the -plane of theedge ilanges connecting the U-shapedportions.

At the interior of the'ca'r side wall the side post members I haveflange portions I9 which in `the form'of side post member shown in thedrawings are spaced on each side of the interiorly `facing recess I2and'formthe'bottoms of the'outwardly facing recesses I I. These spacedYflange 'its 4 portions I9 provide for increased strength of rthe carside construction due to the manner in which they are secured to theframe of the car. The side post members I may be secured to the floorand sill 3 of the car in any suitable manner. The ends of the side postmembers I abut the underside of the side plate 2 and may be welded orotherwise secured thereto along the longitudinal vlines at the junctionof the Avtop edges of the langes t9 -and the sidefplate l2, fasyindicated by the numeral 9 in Fig. 2. In the form of side post membersshown in the drawings Vthis af- V-fordsconnection-along spacedlongitudinal lines 'and provides a very secure connection of the sidepost members to the side plate 2.

Since 'the side post members are formed of ,sheet metalstock-and are ofsubstantially greater width than previous designs of side post members!fewer posts are required and a stiff car side construction results withrelatively few side fpost members. 'The wallstructure of rthe .pres--ent'invention has high resistance ltostressestending to bulge the carside walls-due vto the-.fact that the width of unsupported sheathingbetween the widesidepost membersis reduced. n

At suitable vertical intervals valong Ythechan.- nelshaped recess I2,stieningelements Itmay -beidisposed andsecuredto the wallsof -the .re-:cess `I2. Asma-y beseen in Fig. 3, a :preferred form of stifeningelement comprises a .short channel shaped 7section Vof sheet metaldisposed transverselyof the 4recess I2 yand -welded to -the .side wallsofthe recess i12-2. These istiiening'elements resist relativemovements-of the Ysidewalls of the recesses and add a great deal ofrigidity and Ystillness Yto `the iside post Lmembers. These stifleingelements resist .stresses tending to vcause relative lateral movements:of ith'e recessed Iside Walls are particularly eiective in increaslinglthe-resist'ances .to V:stresses tending `Vto `bulge the Tcar sidewalls. .The 'side .posts are additionally stiliened by the lining flwhich engages with ithe -'outer sidewalls Vof -.the outwardly yfacingychannels of Ithe side posts. Y

Fin laddition these stiffening elements serv another function lincombination with the chanrnel shaped recesses I2 :which open to theinterior of fthe fcar. The recesses: Ilz, vwhich Fare 'providedatloppo'site VA'points#along the car side 1wa'11,11serlve as keepers for'the Lends lof transverse bracing members I 5,-iandareextrem'elyhelpful4in bracing 'the load placed in the car. The --st'iie'ning :teleL'ments-iillmay be-usedltofsupporlt such transverse bracing members atspaced foar heights.

The *ends of vthe vtransverse bracing lmembers fI'Ii may lbeA insertedf-within'the recesses f-i 2 byftilting 'the longitudinali-axis of suchltransverse bracing 'members uri-til fthe-'distancebetweenlthe lends of:the bracing member lis v :shorter Pthan -lthe :Idistancelbetweeniopposite side f-post members. rEhe vertical spacing-*of thestileningelements isf preferably such `to :permit -lthe `insertion-il afdesire'd Anumber :of L'transverse 'bracing members between adjacentstiirening elements.-

Forexampl'epas shownfin Fig. 1 by ith'euse of a Iplurality-fofVlbra'cing-lmenflbers i5 having vtheir ends disposed in Ithe 5hannelspaced Yrecesses -'I'-2, an fend @of `Lthe -car A"may be partitioned toform a bin vfor-carrying small '-loose articles, as indicated by thenumeral F6 in Fig. il. Atlthefheight of one fof the Vstirfening'elements iifdl, `transverse bracing members I5 may =he used 'Ito-supp'ort .a removable floor v-vor "deck Il Luseful 5to ltie'r Ztl-'xeload The :numeral lif indicates -a-cra'ted `object carried Iby'thefflo'or -or :deck IFI 'and additionally braced by a transverse bracingmember disposed at the bottom of the article on the iioor or deck I7 anda second transverse bracing member supported by the next higherstiffening element I4 in the region of the top of the article.

As another illustration of the use of the present car side constructionin the bracing of railway car loads, the numeral 20 indicates an objectshorter than the space between adjacent recesses l2 and braced by theuse of transverse bracing members and a plurality of short longitudinalbracing members 2l supported between the object and the transversebracing members I5.

It may thus be seen that the present invention in addition to providinga sturdy, rigid oar side construction also incorporates an apparatus forbracing the load of the car which may be used to brace a large varietyof objects of varying size and shape. Furthermore, the bracing apparatusdoes not utilize special bracing members with xed attachments whichnecessitates their beiner carried in the car whether used or not. Allthat is required is a supply of dunnage lumber as is available atloading sites for normal dunnage purposes. In fact, a quantity of thetransverse bracing members l may be made in advance by cutting timbersto the proper predetermined length for use in freight cars embodying thepresent invention.

Another important feature accruing from the use of the herein describedcar side construction is that it overcomes one of the major objectionsto conventional dunnaging practices. Normally a freight 'car load isbraced by nailing dunnaging lumber to the car lining so that each loadis braced by cutting and fitting bracing members to nt as the car isloaded. This appreciably increases loading time and justies the cost ofutility loading apparatus now on they market. Also, in the desire forspeed of unloading, the removal of the dunnage lumber is accompanied bydamage to the car lining. After a relatively few trips it may benecessary to remove and replace the car lining, Which is a substantialmaintenance item.

When it is not desired to use the load bracing apparatus afforded by thepresent invention the car is ready for normal use Without removing anyequipment or making any alterations because the iixed portions of theload bracing apparatus reside in the channel shaped recesses l2 whichare wholly disposed within the car side wall.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of car side embodying the presentinvention which comprises side post members 23 of the same configurationas shown in Figs. l through 4, except that the side post members are notintegrally constructed as a part of a sheathing panel. Sheathing panels24 are provided and may be located so that their adjacent edges overlapin the region of the central flange portion 25 between the two channelshaped members making up the side post 23. Thus, the adjacent overlappedportions of the sheathing panels may be secured together and to the sidepost member at this point.

In Fig. 6 an alternative form of car side wall construction in theregion of the door opening is shown. In this modification side-postmembers 28 are integrally formed along one side edge of the sheathingpanel 2S, as shown in Figs. 1 through 4 of the drawings. To form a doorpost in the region of the door opening a side post member 28 is disposedadjacent the desired location of the door opening. A door postconstruction is then aiorded by providing a sheathing section 30 whichoverlaps and covers the exterior of the side post member 28 and has aflange 3l extending inwardly to the interior of the car side wall for adistance equal to the thickness of such side wall. A suitable insert 32,shown in the drawing as formed of wood, may be used to provide a nailingstrip to which the lining may be secured and to back up ilange 3l of thedoor post construction. The insert or door post nailing strip 32 may bebolted or otherwise suitably fastened to the side post member and thesheathing section 3D as indicated in Fig. 6.

The present invention is also extremely benecial in the rehabilitationor remodeling of existing railway cars. For example, at the time when acar lining is removed for replacement, side post members embodying thepresent invention may be built into the car side wall. If the exteriorsheathing is in satisfactory condition, it may be left in place and sidepost members of the type shown in Fig. 5 may be secured thereto. Such aconstruction would greatly stiften and strengthen the car side walls andwill at the same time provide the improved load bracing apparatus of thepresent invention.

Fig. '7 illustrates the addition of side post members embodying thepresent invention to an existing car side construction. The numeral 35indicates the side post member of the original construction which is ofthe conventional Z section. The original sheathing panels 36 meet in alap joint and are secured to the side post 35. With the lining removedit is a relatively simple matter to secure side post members 31embodying the present invention to the sheathing at opposite pointsalong the car side walls. Suitable nailing strips 33 may be secured tothe new side post members 31 in any of the well accepted methods so thata suitable lining indicated by the numeral 33 may be secured to the carside wall construction to provide a flush surface on the interior of thecar.

- While the above description of the present invention has been inconnection with railway box cars, it may be readily seen that theinvention may be applied equally benecially to constructions of othertypes of cars, such as, for example, a stock car used for carryingcattle, when built with a single floor or for smaller animals such aspigs, sheep or chickens when built with two or more floors or decks. Inapplying the invention to cars of this type the frame of the car sidewall would be similar to that described above. The side post memberswould be secured at opposite points along the car, extending from theside plate to the side sill. Instead of the sheathing panels applied asthe exterior wall of the car, a plurality of spaced horizontal slats maycomprise the outer car wall.

It is to be understood that variations and modications of the specicdevices herein shown and described for purposes of illustration, may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for bracing the load of a railway car which comprises incombination with the outer car side walls, side post members disposed atopposite points along said car side walls and each defining a verticallyextending channel shaped recess opening to the interior of said car,spaced ange portions carried by said side post members for attachment tosaid outer car wall, and means extending between and secured amazestotithewalls of" each of said vertically.Y` extending channel shaped.recesses to. stiienl said.Y side.v post members and-airord asupportfontransverseload bracing members. which.. extend. across. the:ineterior ofi tlrecar. fronrsidewall toJ side walll 2. Apparatusforbracing the loadof arailway car'which comprises in combination withouter car side Walls, side' post members disposed at opposite pointsalong said car. side walls andleach defining ai vertically7 extendingchannelv shaped recesszopeningto theinteriorv of said car, spacedlangeportions. carried bysaidisidelpost. members for attachment .tosaidouter car walls, and vmeans extending between and securedY tothewalls of eachnfi said. vertically: extending.' channel.y shapedrecesses: tofstiifen said. side. postY members and afford? a. supportfor transverse. load` bracing members which' extendacross the interior.of. the car from side wallftside wall, saidmeans being disposed at'.oppositezqequal' heights; in said. recesses and. including channelshaped. members extending transversely between the walls of saidrecesses.

3.V A railway car. side construction which com.- prises a plurality. ofvertically disposed sheet metal side post members spaced. along the carside, said side post members each being. formed. to

providefspaced parallel and vertically extending channels facing towardthe exterior of the car side,.a channel intermediate said spacedchannels facing toward. the interior of the car and. open toward suchinterior, the side walls of which.V are side walls of. the spacedchannels and an attaching ange at: the outer edge of. aside. wall of. anoutwardly` facing. channel, and a plurality of vertically-spacedtransversely disposedrigidbrac.- ing elements-extending across the spacebetween the. side walls of each inwardly facingr channel and.- attachedat their ends to said side walls; said bracing elements afiordngsupports at various heightsv forv transverse load bracing members;

4. A railway car side construction such as de.- i-lned. in claim 3 inwhich; saidf. bracing elements are: channel shaped` sheet. metalmembers,` dis.- posed-.with their. channels. facing the: exterior of.the sheathing and; bridging the spaces between exteriorlyvfacingchannels'offthe spacedvside post members, and,` vertically spaced.stiiening elements inY the. interiorly facing channels. ofsaid side.-posts; said stiiening elements extending transversely` across the spacebetween the side Walls of said interiorly facing channels andl beingsecured at their ends to the channel side walls, said bracing elementsaiTording supports at various heights. for. transverse load bracingmembers;

ERWIN G. MANGELS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the fileofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name: Date 1,120,739 @stranden Dec. 15,1914 1,238,874 Bella Sept. 4, 191-.7 1,336,892 Crane Apr; 13, 19201,558,323 Whyte Oct. 20, 1925 1,900,711 Howard Mar. 7, 1933 1,995,532Blest et al Mar. 26, 1935 2,007,514 Wilson et al July 9,1935 2,115,037Moses Apr.v 26, 1938 2,207,361 Thompson July 9, 1940 2,265,178' Lohse etal. Dec. 9, 1941 2,336,440 Kass Dec. 7, 1943 2,407,523

Willoughby Sept. 10,` 1946

